ELKHART — It took a while, but city officials have hired its SoMa marketing director and they didn’t have to look too far.

Trevor Wendzonka has accepted the marketing position for SoMa (which stands for “Supporting Our Main Assets”), which will be based at the Lerner Theatre.

In taking the new position, Wendzonka left his job as director of communications and government relations at Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce, which is located next to the Lerner.

Wendzonka announced the job switch in a mass email on Friday, Aug. 8, his last day with the chamber.

He could not be reached for comment Monday.

Wendzonka has spent much of his career working as a reporter or in media relations.

He worked nearly 15 years as a reporter for The Elkhart Truth, beginning in 1990. He then worked with the Elkhart Sheriff’s Department for six years as a spokesman.

Before that, he was with the chamber for 18 months. Prior to that, he served as a coordinator for Safe Kids Elkhart County and a short stint with a newspaper in Kendallville, Ind.

In his new capacity, Wendzonka will work to advance “the cause for SoMa and downtown Elkhart,” he said in the email.

The new position comes weeks after SoMa and city officials announced a major marketing plan in which the downtown is being branded as the Gateway Mile in an attempt to better promote all of the destination points along Main Street from the railroad tracks south of the downtown business district to Wellfield Botanic Gardens on the north end.

The marketing position was one of three established this year that had been sought to leaders of SoMa, the downtown revitalization.

The other two new city-funded positions are general manager and administrative assistant.

Funding for the position had been available since early this year, but officials continued to look for the right person for the job.